Step Up

"Step Up is a great way for our students to get out of their comfort zones while giving back and becoming involved in the wider Detroit community. Our students are going beyond themselves and are actively involved in the revitalization of this city.”

Kathleen Zimmerman-Oster, Ph.D.

Director of Research, Evaluation and Leadership Development

Institute of Leadership and Service

Step Up is a peer mentoring and student retention program provided free of charge by Detroit Mercy and facilitated by the Institute. Each semester, approximately 250 students from five local schools (Loyola High School, University of Detroit Jesuit High School, Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, Hamtramck High School, and Bishop Foley Catholic High School) participate in eight-week sessions of:

Balancing life as a high school student

Reducing aggression

Stress management

Studying skills

Social media awareness

Leadership development

Reducing prejudice

Alcohol and other drug awareness

Promoting positive alternatives

With funding from the Ford Motor Company Fund, these sessions are facilitated and organized by student volunteers in the Emerging Leaders Program and student athletes and are part of the service learning component of social psychology and leadership courses. (PYC 2600, LEAD 2000 and LEAD 4000). In addition, 200 middle school students have participated in Leadership workshops that were led by high school students as they "paid forward" their lessons learned from our Detroit Mercy students. Watch our Prezi below.

"Step Up is a great way for our students to get out of their comfort zones while giving back and becoming involved in the wider Detroit community. Our students are going beyond themselves and are actively involved in the revitalization of this city.”